The present invention relates generally to a stand-on aerator and, more particularly, to a tine depth stop mechanism for a self-propelled, stand-on aerator.
In the field of landscaping, turf aeration (“aeration”) is the process of mechanically removing small plugs of soil from a lawn or other ground surface. Aeration is typically performed in a relatively limited portion of the year, spanning several weeks in the spring and several weeks in the fall. Because the aeration season is short, commercial landscapers need robust aeration equipment to maximize productivity. Commercial landscapers commonly employ mechanical, self-propelled power aerators (“aerators”) that allow an operator to ride or stand on the aerator. These aerators have cutting members called “tines” for removing plugs of soil during the aeration process.
In performing aeration, commercial landscapers encounter a wide variety of turf and soil conditions. Many existing aerators remove soil cores of differing depths depending upon the soil conditions or terrain. Existing aerators tend to remove shallow soil cores when operating on hard, dry ground and to remove deep soil cores when operating on soft, moist ground—thus providing unwanted variation in the depth of the soil cores (sometimes referred to as “aeration depth”).
Some existing aerators attempt to control aeration depth by allowing the operator to regulate a downward hydraulic pressure exerted on the tines during aeration. For an operator to control the aeration depth accurately by controlling the hydraulic pressure, the operator must know the proper aeration depth and must have the skill to adjust the hydraulic pressure in order to obtain the desired aeration depth. Landscaping contractors may employ persons who are not well versed in proper aeration techniques, including the proper aeration depth. As a result, in some circumstances, regulating the aeration depth by operator regulation of the hydraulic pressure leads to unsatisfactory results.
The presently preferred embodiment of the invention uses the weight of the aerator to drive the tines into the soil and includes a user-settable tine depth stop mechanism to control the maximum aeration depth. By providing a user-settable maximum aeration depth, the presently preferred embodiment of the invention removes soil cores of consistent depth while operating in a variety of soil conditions and terrains. Self-propelled power aerators, including both “stand on” and “ride on” aerators, may benefit from the user-settable tine depth stop mechanism according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.